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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: bank · roll · cue · march · club · clip · leaves · calf

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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. clip — a video
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. clip — for paper
  8. roll — a list
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. roll — a cake
  17. clip — to cut
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a hint

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