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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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 — music
  2. key — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cold — not warm
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — bread
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. band — a ring
  20. press — a publisher
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a music group
  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