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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 116 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: present · pit · wind · march · cap · bulb · staff · racket

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — there
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — music
  6. present — the time now
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pit — a hole
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — a gift
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — the month
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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