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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rule — government
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wax — to grow
  14. key — in music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — a law
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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