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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — there
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — in sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — music

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