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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. charge — a price
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of law
  9. last — to go on
  10. march — the month
  11. court — for sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — the month
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — music

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