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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — a young animal

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