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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. march — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a document
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. file — a line of people
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — a friend
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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