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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. present — there
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — the season
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — low music
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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