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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — in football
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — to trim

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