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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pop — soda
  17. scale — size or range
  18. march — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — in music

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