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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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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: pass · drill · game · sharp · stick · mark · prune · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — a match
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — clever
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. game — wild animals
  24. sharp — with an edge

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