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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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 — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — for pool
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — of water
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — a match
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. shower — rain
  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