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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: hand · cue · can · stick · wake · march · firm · row

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. march — the month
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — decided
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. firm — steady
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cue — a signal

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