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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — to be able to
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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