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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — final
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — the month

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