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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. march — the month
  5. race — a contest
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. march — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — bread

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