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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. firm — a company
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a match
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bat — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — for baseball

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