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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: rock · roll · last · leaves · mark · suit · present · net

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. present — there
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — final
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. net — in sport
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rock — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — finally
  18. present — a gift
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. last — to go on
  23. net — after costs
  24. roll — a cake

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