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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. suit — in cards
  10. race — humankind
  11. tear — from crying
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — to rip
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — a trail
  20. toast — bread
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — a contest

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