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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — a line
  10. sharp — clever
  11. march — the month
  12. spring — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spring — a coil

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