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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a path
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — a song
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a hole
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — to keep track

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