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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — to paddle
  11. craft — a skill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. club — for golf
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — for betting
  16. craft — boats
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — the sport
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chip — in a computer

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