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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: calf · charge · march · clip · bulb · bear · track · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — the month
  3. clip — a video
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — music
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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