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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mug — a cup
  3. march — music
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to sink
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pass — a permit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. drill — a practice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — army training
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. suit — in cards

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