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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — a line
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — completely
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — the season
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — from a university
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — to drop

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