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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — army training
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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