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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: dip · arm · march · can · board · cue · fall · pit

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a hole
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — to get on
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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