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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — completely

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