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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cue — a hint
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — music
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a signal
  9. march — the month
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. march — music
  22. key — in music
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — to rule out

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