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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — a series
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. land — a country
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — the fish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. face — to point toward

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