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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — an aim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — soda
  14. toast — bread
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a hat
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cap — a lid
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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