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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: net · lean · chest · pop · mark · march · suit · can

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — soda
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — a trace
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — a grade

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