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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kid — child
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — magic
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — letters
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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