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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spring — of water
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — the season
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — music

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