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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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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: bowl · wind · firm · stand · prune · march · pit · bass

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bass — low music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — decided
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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