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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: kick · pit · bulb · cell · tear · cue · net · present

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. net — after costs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — there
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — to rip

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