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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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