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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. capital — a city
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to sink
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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