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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. date — the fruit
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a lid
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — clothes
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. face — part of the head

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