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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 120 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: suit · march · content · bore · rush · cue · can · rule

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cue — a signal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. march — music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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