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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. drill — the tool

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