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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mark — a trace

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