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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — a phone
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — to put up with

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