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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. march — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. race — humankind
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. track — a song

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