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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 120 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: lie · bat · cue · pop · bear · fall · pitch · bulb

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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