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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. march — music
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — the month
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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