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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — to be able to
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. squash — the sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. squash — to crush
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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