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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. march — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — a supporter

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