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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — wild animals
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pit — a hole

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