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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of law
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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