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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — all right
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. rest — a break

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