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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — to come down
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. land — a country
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pit — in a race

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