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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. march — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fine — all right
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. suit — clothes
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — there
  24. march — the month

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