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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — farmland
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to click
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. field — a subject

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