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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: suit · ground · tear · nail · pit · swing · bulb · staff

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pit — a hole
  24. staff — employees

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