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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — a container
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — rain
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lean — thin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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