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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — of water
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — a song
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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