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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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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — for sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — a country
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. land — ground
  9. mug — to rob
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — army training
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. kid — child
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — to tease
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. march — music

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