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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. season — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — to handle
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — in a race
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mug — a face
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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