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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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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. march — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a ring
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — of law
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. suit — to fit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a rubber band

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