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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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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: cap · kid · bay · swing · bulb · trunk · charge · pitch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — to tease
  5. swing — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — child
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — a hat
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — a price
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cap — of ice

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