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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: cue · march · object · content · leaves · cell · stick · arm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. object — a thing
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — a phone
  22. content — happy
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. content — videos and posts

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