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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cap — a hat
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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