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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · march · season · bulb · rule · cabinet · stick · field

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — government
  3. march — music
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — of the year
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. march — the month
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — a subject
  15. march — the month
  16. content — happy
  17. field — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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