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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cue — for pool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — wild animals
  21. march — music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pound — a weight
  24. face — to confront

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