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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. shower — to wash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — a break
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — rain
  20. last — final
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — finally

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