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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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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: cabinet · roll · fine · firm · deal · march · pit · clip

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. march — the month
  5. clip — a video
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — decided
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. firm — steady
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. march — music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — to handle
  23. roll — a list
  24. firm — a company

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