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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — a trace
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — the animal

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