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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rule — government
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cold — not warm
  24. spring — a coil

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