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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: rash · bark · tear · cue · march · chair · content · calf

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — a leader
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — hasty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — a signal
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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