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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — a thing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — an aim
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — low music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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