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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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468
Word bank
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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a line of people
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — to paddle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a tool
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a line
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. racket — a loud noise

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