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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · craft · jam · bulb · fan · roll · season · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. roll — a list
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. craft — a skill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. craft — boats
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — of the year
  22. march — the month
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — in sport

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