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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — to fit
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — employees
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — a weight
  21. scale — in music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. suit — in cards

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