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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kick — in football
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. swing — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. swing — in golf

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