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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: lie · bulb · pit · lean · charge · jam · club · scale

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — in control
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. charge — a price
  23. scale — in music
  24. charge — electricity

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