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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — to come down
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. march — the month

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