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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: stem · mate · toast · row · firm · last · racket · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — to paddle
  4. last — to go on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — a company
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. last — final
  16. mate — to breed
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — a friend
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a line
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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