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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — magic
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. season — of the year
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spell — letters

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