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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: arm · bulb · ruler · march · cap · racket · fan · cold

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a hat
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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