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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. hand — help
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a face
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — a gift
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — there
  18. mug — to rob
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — part of the body
  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