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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a signal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cue — a hint
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. sharp — clever

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