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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — to shout
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pit — in a race

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