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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a match
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. dip — to dunk

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