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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · fan · prune · bowl · bulb · kid · march · coach

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. suit — clothes
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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