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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. suit — to fit
  5. net — for catching
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — a law
  12. land — ground
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. march — the month

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