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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. degree — temperature
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — from a university
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mug — a face
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the 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