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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a ring
  4. march — the month
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. board — a committee
  18. march — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. plane — a tool

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