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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. last — finally
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — final
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. patient — a sick person

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