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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 124 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hand — help
  24. cap — a hat

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