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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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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: hide · wake · mate · race · bulb · saw · pitch · can

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — a tin

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