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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — all right
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. pit — in a race
  24. vault — a safe

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