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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in 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. march — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. march — the month
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — rain
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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