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

Word bank: bore · march · track · saw · cue · last · fall · suit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — to go on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — to fit
  8. track — a path
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — clothes
  13. last — final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — finally
  17. bore — to drill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — to drop

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