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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — boats
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. pit — in a race
  24. spring — of water

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