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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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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: ground · wake · march · cue · stick · arm · bound · craft

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. arm — part of the body

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