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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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