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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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