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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: board · bulb · cap · foot · row · can · bat · pitch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — of ice
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — completely

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