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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rule — a law
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — employees
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. roll — a list
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — the season

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