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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. game — wild animals
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rash — hasty
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. march — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. march — the month
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — the month

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