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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. net — for catching
  4. mark — a trace
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. net — after costs
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — to crush
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. file — a tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. squash — the sport
  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