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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · pitcher · cabinet · stick · rush · toast · prune · row

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. row — a line
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — to paddle
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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