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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — to bear
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — a law
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — government
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rest — a break
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — for spectators

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