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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — money
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — a break
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — of water
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a city
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. band — a ring
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rest — what's left

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