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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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