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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a music group
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a ring
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. present — there
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. march — the month
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — on your feet

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