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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. last — finally
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — to handle
  17. season — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — in control
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — final
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — a big deal

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