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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — thin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — final
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — shares
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. last — finally
  19. stock — goods
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — a company
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — a soup base

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