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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — decided
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. swing — to play on
  23. dip — to sink
  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