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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. roll — a cake
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — to be able to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — the month
  24. racket — a loud noise

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