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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. season — in sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — of the year
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. club — a group
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. march — the month

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