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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stem — to come from

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