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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of a king
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — certain
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — the time now
  20. court — of law
  21. march — music
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — to handle
  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