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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: row · pit · prune · dip · kick · field · cue · bulb

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pit — a hole
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — for pool
  18. field — a subject
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — in football
  24. cue — a hint

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