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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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