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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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