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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pop — soda
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lean — thin
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — not warm
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pitch — completely
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lean — to bend

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