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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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