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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · wake · bulb · rule · swing · craft

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — government
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. 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