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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — final
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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