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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. branch — a division
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — a short time
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spell — letters
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bulb — for light

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