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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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