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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — a tin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lean — thin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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