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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: cell · toast · chair · spring · mark · pit · bulb · arm

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spring — the season
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pit — a hole
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. spring — of water
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chair — a leader
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. toast — bread
  24. cell — a phone

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