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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. deal — to handle

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