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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. row — a line
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — steady
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. row — to paddle
  18. club — for golf
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ground — a position
  22. firm — decided
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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