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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rule — government
  8. present — a gift
  9. rule — a law
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a great time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — the time now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — music

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