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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: jam · staff · fall · march · perch · rule · bear · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — a law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — a tight spot

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