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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. swing — music
  7. march — music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chest — a box
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. suit — clothes
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. march — the month

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