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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bank — of a river
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — in sport
  24. degree — from a university

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