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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: content · scale · stand · suit · toast · last · pitcher · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — in music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. last — final
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. last — to go on

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