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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cue — for pool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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