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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — a contest
  20. bat — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — music

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