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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — a country
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lie — an untruth

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