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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cue — a signal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  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