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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fall — the season
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. degree — temperature
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — to be able to

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