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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: dip · rush · pit · spring · bulb · suit · straw · march

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spring — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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