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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — the season
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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