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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 116 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — a trail
  5. march — music
  6. field — a subject
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — army training
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — farmland
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — for sport
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — lets stay

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