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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 · rush · present · march · pop · stick · pit · capital

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. present — a gift
  5. pop — to visit
  6. capital — money
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. present — there
  10. pop — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — a city
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. present — the time now
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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