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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cap — a hat
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. game — a match
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — decided
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. can — to be able to

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