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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: cap · suit · mark · stand · pop · fork · fan · march

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — the month
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mark — a grade
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — a trace
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fan — to cool the air

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