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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 116 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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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