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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pit — in a race
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a face
  13. bank — for money
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a dance
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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