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

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tube — a container
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — the time now

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