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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 · pit · rule · toast · lash · field · perch · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — for sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. field — farmland
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — a law

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