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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 stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spring — of water
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spring — the season
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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