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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pit · pound · pitcher · march · swing · trunk · current

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — a weight
  16. swing — in golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of a car

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