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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — hasty
  19. drill — a practice
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mouse — for a computer

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