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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. vault — a safe

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