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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: chair · march · shower · date · season · foot · suit · jam

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. shower — rain
  4. season — in sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. suit — to fit
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. season — of the year
  9. foot — a measure
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — in cards
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — part of the body

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