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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — hurry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — to go on
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — music

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