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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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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — of the year
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit

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