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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — the fish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — low music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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