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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 124 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. land — to come down
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. land — a country
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hand — in cards
  22. land — ground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — help

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