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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: pit · net · prune · bulb · spring · race · rock · present

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. race — humankind
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — the season
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — for catching
  24. spring — of water

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