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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. rest — a break
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. season — of the year
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — a division
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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