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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. last — final
  8. spell — magic
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — finally
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — a break
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — to go on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pit — a hole

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