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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitch — completely
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. patient — a sick person

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