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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. last — final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — the season
  20. march — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tube — the underground

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