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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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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: suit · pop · pitcher · staff · march · capital · bowl · chair

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a leader
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — a city
  23. pop — soda
  24. march — the month

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