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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · cap · drill · court · rash · date · present · bulb

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — of ice
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — a series
  10. drill — the tool
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. court — for sport
  24. present — a gift

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