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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — help
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. land — a country
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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