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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. snap — to click
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pit — in a race
  17. capital — a city
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. capital — money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sports field

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