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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.

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: bulb · pitch · bound · stick · leaves · land · cap · court

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — a lid
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of a king
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. court — for sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. land — ground

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