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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. capital — a city
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. capital — money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tube — a container
  19. cue — a signal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — in a tire
  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