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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · stick · tear · bulb · racket · file

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a document
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bulb — for light

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