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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spring — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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