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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — in football
  10. band — a music group
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. band — a ring
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — to come down

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