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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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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: game · snap · lie · pit · march · cabinet · suit · craft

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to click
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a hole
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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