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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — clever
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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