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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter

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