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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spring — the season
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spring — of water
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — to eat
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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