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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. march — music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — to fit
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. pop — to visit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — to protest

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