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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — decided
  12. fall — the season
  13. clip — a video
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cue — for pool
  18. firm — a company
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cue — a hint
  21. firm — steady
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — to drop
  24. clip — to cut

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