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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — of water
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spell — magic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — electric
  24. mark — to pay attention

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