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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: court · rush · jam · march · bore · pass · suit · wind

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rush — hurry
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. march — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — of a king
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — to hurry

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