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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. sharp — clever
  24. arm — part of the body

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