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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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