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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cue — a signal
  6. band — a ring
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — for betting
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — decided
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — soda
  17. band — a music group
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — army training
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. drill — a practice
  24. firm — steady

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