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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — boats
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — the month
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. march — music
  24. row — to paddle

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