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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. tear — to rip
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — low music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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