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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. march — the month
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fall — to drop
  5. march — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — a committee
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — a partner
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. content — happy
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — the amount

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