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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 very handy with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. swing — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — in golf
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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