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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mate — to breed
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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