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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — ground
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — a permit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — bread
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a great time

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