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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tube — the underground
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — the month
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. present — there
  22. march — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — a gift

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