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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — music
  21. present — there
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. present — the time now

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