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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a trace
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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