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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. craft — boats
  24. wind — moving air

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