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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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Word bank
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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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