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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wake — a trail
  6. present — the time now
  7. roll — a cake
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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