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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — all right
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — high quality
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. vault — a safe
  21. craft — boats
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — a line
  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