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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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