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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — farmland
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mug — a face

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