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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: toast · date · roll · march · can · press · degree · firm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — decided
  6. roll — a list
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — an amount
  9. press — newspapers
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — a publisher
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — to push
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — a cake

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