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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — to tease
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — child
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stand — on your feet

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