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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — decided
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — a phone
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pop — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. firm — steady
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — soda
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — a company

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