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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 120 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 · bat · coach · file · foot · mark · clip · suit

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. march — the month
  10. file — a tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. foot — a measure
  24. file — a document

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