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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. season — in sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to click
  24. season — of the year

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