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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. firm — a company
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — to visit
  6. firm — decided
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — music
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. present — the time now
  16. toast — bread
  17. present — there
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. firm — steady
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — a monarch

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