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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: march · arm · mug · mark · rock · season · pop · fan

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — of the year
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — to visit
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — music

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