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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: leaves · bulb · mark · field · present · cell · march · jam

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. present — the time now
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — to go away

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