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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · roll · hide · kick · pitch · bulb · last · date

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — a cake
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. last — final
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — to go on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. last — finally
  24. roll — on a roll

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