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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. land — a country
  18. march — the month
  19. land — to come down
  20. rest — a break
  21. land — ground
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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