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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. last — final
  5. march — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — finally
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chip — to eat

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