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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cue — a signal
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — soda
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — to eat with

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