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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. march — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — clothes

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