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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to click
  7. drill — a practice
  8. march — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — certain
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bound — obliged
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. drill — army training
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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