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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — obliged
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — certain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — music

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