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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: mark · firm · pit · jam · march · spring · court · fall

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fall — the season
  9. pit — a hole
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. firm — steady
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spring — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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