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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. march — the month
  4. present — a gift
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — of water
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — of a tree

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