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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. file — a document
  4. object — to protest
  5. rock — music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. kid — child
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a tool

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