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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — the month
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. march — the month
  6. land — ground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — the cause
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — music

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