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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
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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: clip · spell · field · bay · march · bulb · fine · firm

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — all right
  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