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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a face
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. march — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pitch — completely

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