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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. race — humankind
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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