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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — decided
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pit — in a race
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — in golf
  24. firm — a company

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