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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. field — a subject
  8. suit — clothes
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. scale — in music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — in cards
  19. season — in sport
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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