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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. march — music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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