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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. field — farmland
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — clothes

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