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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — a subject
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — farmland
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  24. field — for sport

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