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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — in football
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tube — in a tire

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