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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — the most important part
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. press — a publisher
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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