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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bore — to drill
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — a cake
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to tire

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