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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: bulb · ball · rest · march · staff · row · pound · pop

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a line
  7. pop — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pop — to visit
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

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