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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
468
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: bowl · sharp · pit · leaves · calf · scale · bulb · bay

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — in a race

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