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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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. deal — to handle
  4. season — of the year
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spring — the season
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. file — a document
  15. spring — of water
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. track — a path
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a line of people

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