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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. present — a gift
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a line of people
  16. present — there
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. chair — a leader

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