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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: march · mark · cue · row · degree · bowl · present · bear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. march — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. row — a line
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mark — a grade
  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