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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — a contest
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bulb — for light

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