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

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — the month
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — decided
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mark — a grade
  18. march — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. firm — steady

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