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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: bay · pit · suit · rush · march · sharp · fan · land

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — in a race
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — clever
  24. march — music

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