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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a hint
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — music
  11. track — a path
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — a song
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — in control
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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