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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: ball · cold · spring · pitch · swing · bear · object · bulb

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — a thing
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — of water
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. object — to protest
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — to put up with

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