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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · march · jam · date · coach · suit · mug · snap

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — a face
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — clothes
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mug — a cup
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to click

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