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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — in cards
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — to fit
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — music
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pop — soda
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pop — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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