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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — a skill
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lean — thin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — boats
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tear — from crying

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