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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — all right
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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