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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — a country
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a lid
  6. firm — decided
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — a company
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — for catching
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — a hat
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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