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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · date · bulb · pitcher · cap · pit · land · toast

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — a country
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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