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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — a video
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — electricity
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. march — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — the month
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — of a plant

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