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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — a signal
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — for pool
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a trace
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — to fit
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. march — the month
  23. track — to keep track
  24. charge — in control

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