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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. net — for catching
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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