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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 · bulb · rest · bear · present · net · game · date

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — there
  7. pit — a hole
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — the fruit
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. game — a match
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a kind of play

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