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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mine — for digging
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. march — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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