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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — music
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — a company
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rock — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — of water
  16. pop — soda
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a song
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — to keep track

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