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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: foot · pop · stick · rest · bark · firm · face · march

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. firm — decided
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. face — part of the head
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — a company
  18. pop — music
  19. march — the month
  20. pop — soda
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to point toward
  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