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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. club — a group
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — to protest
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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