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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — the fruit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. drill — a practice
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a line
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — army training
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — the month

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