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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — a company
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cue — a hint
  24. firm — decided

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