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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. root — the cause
  19. cap — of ice
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — of a word

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