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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in biology
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — completely
  24. board — a flat piece

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