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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: bowl · safe · pit · pop · jam · bulb · fan · clip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pit — a hole
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a football final

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