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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · cue · arm · march · key · fan · saw · present

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. present — a gift
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — on your feet

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