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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: mug · pit · bulb · firm · fall · nail · object · pop

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — soda
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a face
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. firm — steady
  20. fall — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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