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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tear — from crying

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