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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. capital — money
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — goods
  12. capital — a city
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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