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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — music

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