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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: drill · pop · suit · object · toast · trunk · march · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — in cards
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. toast — bread
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. object — to protest
  24. suit — to fit

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