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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — finally
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — the month

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