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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: bulb · mug · cell · march · rush · pit · sharp · rule

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cell — a phone
  24. sharp — exactly

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