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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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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: march · bulb · ruler · pass · wake · game · ground · lie

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. game — a match
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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