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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cell — in a prison
  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