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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — a sports field

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