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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a ring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — a company
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — steady

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