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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a trace
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — a position
  18. suit — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — for tennis

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