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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — boats
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — for digging

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