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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. pop — music
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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