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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cue — a signal
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. current — electric
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. march — the month
  16. current — of water
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — in football

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