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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — in traffic

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