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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fall — the season
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. firm — decided
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — to come from
  23. shower — to wash
  24. roll — a cake

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