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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: ground · march · bulb · foot · cue · suit · band · fine

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — all right
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a ring
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. foot — a measure
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bulb — of a plant

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