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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — all right
  10. wake — a trail
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — a subject
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pound — a weight
  20. suit — clothes
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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