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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. race — a contest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — humankind
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. march — the month
  22. race — the arms race
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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