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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — clothes
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — for a lock
  14. march — music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — happy
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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