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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. land — a country
  6. club — for dancing
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — for golf
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. bore — to tire
  23. land — ground
  24. bat — for baseball

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