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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: can · pit · jam · mate · bat · bulb · march · staff

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — a partner
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — to breed
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. staff — a stick
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — a friend
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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