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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — a company
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. firm — decided
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a leader
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. suit — to fit

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