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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 120 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 I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — in cards

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