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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. object — an aim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — to protest
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. swing — to play on

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