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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — there
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — to go on
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bulb — for light
  16. present — the time now
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. last — final
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — a gift
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cap — a lid

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