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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 116 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: row · bound · calf · rule · pitch · cold · pop · bulb

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. row — a line
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cold — an illness
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pop — soda
  23. rule — government
  24. calf — a young animal

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