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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 120 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.

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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: bulb · wake · stand · march · drill · ball · key · cabinet

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. key — for a lock
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — the most important part
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — to bear

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