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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: ground · straw · march · snap · suit · net · pass · can

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. ground — a position
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — crushed
  19. snap — to click
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — for catching
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — to be able to

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