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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · face · track · cue · patient · cell · bark · mouse

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. face — to confront
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  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