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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fall — the season

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