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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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