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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. bulb — for light
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cold — not warm
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rock — a stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rock — music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — in sport
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — a measure

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