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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · cue · wake · ground · dip · march · stick · swing

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ground — a position
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — the earth

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