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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. object — to protest
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cue — a hint
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — an aim
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pass — to spend time

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