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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — happening now
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. current — electric
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bulb — for light

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