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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — certain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — to keep track
  14. march — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — a practice
  18. capital — a city
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — obliged
  21. capital — money
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. dip — to sink

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