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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — in sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bound — certain
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — a break
  24. chest — a box

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