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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. club — for golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — a group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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