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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: ball · bulb · staff · march · row · race · present · field

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — farmland
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — a stick
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — there
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — a gift

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