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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — a grade

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