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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 · rest · march · wake · kick · mine · sharp

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kick — in football
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — a break

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