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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — bread
  3. mark — a trace
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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