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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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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: rest · pass · present · last · pit · spring · stick · march

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — of water
  7. last — final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — in a race
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — there

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