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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — to bend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — an amount
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  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