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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. march — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tear — from crying
  16. march — the month
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. arm — a part of something

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