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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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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: cap · rock · march · cue · bat · leaves · safe · sharp

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a hint
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. march — music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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