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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — for pool
  6. clip — a video
  7. root — of a word
  8. clip — to cut
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. march — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — hurry

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