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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. march — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. band — a ring
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — for a lock
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — in music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cell — a phone

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