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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — a company
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — bread
  24. saw — the tool

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