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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — final
  17. pit — in a race
  18. last — finally

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