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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a list
  13. scale — in music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — to succeed

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