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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: toast · bulb · arm · clip · plane · rock · pit · ball

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a hole
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. clip — a video
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. toast — bread
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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