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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: pit · face · swing · wave · club · stem · pitch · bulb

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — for golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — a group
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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