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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. march — the month
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — of water
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — a video
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — to cut

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