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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — for pool
  15. roll — a list
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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