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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. march — the month
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. march — the month
  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