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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitch — completely

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