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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stand — for spectators

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