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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cell — in biology
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — in football
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ground — a position
  24. cap — a hat

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