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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — low music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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