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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: cap · field · suit · present · ball · march · bulb · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. march — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — the time now
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — there
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — of ice
  18. field — a subject
  19. march — the month
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bulb — of a plant

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