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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. key — the most important part
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — letters

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