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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. content — the amount
  3. last — final
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — finally
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. march — music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. suit — in cards
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — happy
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. march — the month
  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