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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: bass · row · march · sharp · mark · prune · mug · straw

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. march — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a line
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — to trim

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