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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — an aim
  8. band — a music group
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. band — a ring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — in control
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — army training
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — to protest
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — in a race

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