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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — for light

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