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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. object — a thing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — army training
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — the time now
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rule — a law

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