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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: root · march · cap · stand · bulb · kid · craft · fan

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. root — the cause
  16. march — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — to bear

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