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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — bread
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. net — in sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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