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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — all right
  10. hand — help
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. date — the fruit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — in cards
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  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