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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — steady
  3. fine — high quality
  4. march — the month
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. prune — to trim

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