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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: wax · stick · pass · chair · bulb · foot · racket · pit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. foot — a measure

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