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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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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: pop · pass · bulb · straw · staff · last · march · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — employees
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — final

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