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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — in football
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — shares

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