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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — certain
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — the season
  16. foot — a measure
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — to get on

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