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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · can · sharp · straw · ball · cue · march · mate

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a dance
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mate — a partner
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a great time

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