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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bulb — of a plant

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