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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. board — a committee
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to click
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. march — music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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