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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: rule · cap · sharp · march · fan · cue · suit · wake

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cap — of ice
  10. march — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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