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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cap — a hat
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — in sport
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — to breed
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — after costs
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — for catching
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — clothes

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