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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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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: cap · land · tube · bound · date · march · cue · deal

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — a country
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — certain
  8. march — music
  9. land — ground
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — to come down
  12. bound — obliged
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a lid
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — the underground

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