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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: roll · march · arm · pop · charge · bulb · foot · present

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — the time now
  3. roll — a cake
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. march — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — there
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. roll — a list
  24. bulb — for light

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