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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — part of the head

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