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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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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — after costs
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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