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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. court — of law
  18. spring — the season
  19. swing — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — in football
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — a coil
  24. court — of a king

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