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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — for digging
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. capital — a city

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