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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. hand — help
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. game — wild animals

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