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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for dancing
  14. content — happy
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for golf
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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