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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — a line
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. row — a quarrel

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