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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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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: racket · land · kick · rock · mark · pit · march · stick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a grade
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — the month
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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