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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. land — ground
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pass — a permit
  8. content — the amount
  9. board — to get on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. board — a committee
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. march — music
  19. content — happy
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — the month
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — a hole

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