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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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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: straw · stick · row · rule · bulb · bear · pitch · plane

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — government
  18. row — a line
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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