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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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