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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. content — happy
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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