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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 116 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: squash · march · mark · stick · cap · plane · mine · suit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — a lid
  9. march — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cap — of ice
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — to crush
  24. march — the month

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