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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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