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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: bulb · kick · fine · arm · pop · racket · march · wave

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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