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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — after costs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — rain
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — to wash

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