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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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