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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — to sink
  6. firm — a company
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. march — the month
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — steady
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — certain

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