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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stock — goods
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cap — a hat
  11. march — music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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