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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 116 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: pass · march · capital · cue · firm · bore · rock · cell

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. capital — a city
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a signal
  9. firm — steady
  10. bore — to drill
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — money
  21. march — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cell — a phone
  24. capital — a big letter

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