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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — the season
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — the arms race
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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