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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — completely
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitch — a sports field

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