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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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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — army training
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. drill — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bass — low music

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