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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — an illness
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mark — a trace

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