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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. shower — to wash
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — a song
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — rain
  13. track — a path
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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