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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: bulb · bat · bay · stick · pass · net · pit · dip

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — of a plant

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