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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — clothes
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — a container
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a hole
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. march — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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