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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — a container
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — to shout
  23. firm — steady
  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