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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. toast — bread
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. drill — army training
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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