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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — in golf
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. swing — to play on
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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