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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. march — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a cup
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — a container
  19. pound — a weight
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cue — a signal
  24. march — the month

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