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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. rest — a break
  13. rule — government
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. march — music
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — to sit on

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