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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — of a river
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. swing — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — happy
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — to eat
  24. drill — a practice

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