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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pit — a hole
  6. suit — in cards
  7. plane — a tool
  8. march — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — a contest
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — an aircraft

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