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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: present · mark · racket · scale · pitch · bulb · fall · mate

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — the time now
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — there
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mark — a grade

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