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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — to rob
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. object — an aim
  24. prune — to trim

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