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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — humankind
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — final
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mark — a trace
  20. race — a contest
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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