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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: march · ruler · present · bulb · can · tear · ball · game

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — there
  4. march — music
  5. game — a match
  6. present — a gift
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — to rip
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — wild animals
  24. march — the month

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