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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  24. clip — for paper

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