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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — army training
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. drill — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. toast — bread

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