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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — to keep track
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — a song

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