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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — to push
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — newspapers
  18. net — for catching
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — in sport

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