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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — a contest
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. row — a line
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — of the leg

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