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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · trunk · squash · bulb · mug · bowl · fine · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — all right
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cold — an illness
  20. squash — the sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — a face

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