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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — the cause
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. spring — a coil

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