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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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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: suit · foot · toast · pit · last · band · pass · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — finally
  5. pass — a permit
  6. toast — bread
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pit — in a race
  13. suit — clothes
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. band — a music group

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