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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — the season
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — a football final

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