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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — music
  6. present — there
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — steady
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. firm — decided
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — a gift
  19. march — the month
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. swing — in golf
  24. press — to push

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