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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — a trail
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. coach — a trainer

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