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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chest — a box
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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