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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — in a race
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — of the year
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — a break
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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