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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 · mine · chip · shower · rock · season · mark · suit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. march — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — a trace
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — for digging
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — rain
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — of the year
  24. mine — an explosive

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