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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. march — the month
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — a series
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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