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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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