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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. march — music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. capital — money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — the fruit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a city
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hide — animal skin

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