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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — a signal
  3. net — after costs
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — a path
  18. march — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — hurry

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