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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. season — of the year
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. march — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rock — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — an injury
  24. season — to add flavour

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