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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — completely
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — the fruit

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