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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · mug · march · fine · drill · stand · prune · cell

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mug — a cup
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cell — in biology
  14. drill — army training
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — a phone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — the fruit

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