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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. drill — army training
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. staff — a stick
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — in biology
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fork — in a road
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. march — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. march — the month

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