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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — final
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. last — to go on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — in a race
  17. present — a gift
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — finally
  24. staff — a stick

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