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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: pop · row · wound · staff · cue · bass · mark · march

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cue — a signal
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — soda
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pop — music
  18. march — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — an injury

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