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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pit — a hole
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — bread
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. jam — in traffic

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