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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lean — thin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — to bend
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com