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

Word bank: pit · mark · jam · bulb · lash · pound · clip · net

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. clip — to cut
  10. net — after costs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. clip — a video
  16. pound — a weight
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — a trace
  23. clip — for paper
  24. jam — a tight spot

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