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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a hole
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — music
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — electric
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — a tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pit — in a race

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