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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. last — finally
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. last — to go on
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — magic
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. last — final
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — a jug

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