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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — the time now
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. present — a gift
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — there
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — to fit

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