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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  24. prune — the fruit

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