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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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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: fork · march · ball · bulb · stand · cell · cabinet · rest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — a break
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cell — a phone
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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