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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. game — a match
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — a break
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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