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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bulb — for light
  13. swing — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — to play on
  24. net — for catching

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