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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — tied together
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spring — the season
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spring — of water
  15. charge — a price
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — a position
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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