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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — music
  7. track — a path
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — there
  15. rash — hasty
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. press — to push
  18. present — a gift
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. march — the month
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. toast — the most admired

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