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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a cup
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — humankind
  20. staff — a stick
  21. clip — a video
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — to rob

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