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

Word bank: wave · bulb · toast · fan · march · cap · chip · bat

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bat — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. march — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — bread
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — to eat

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