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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — a group
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. march — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. object — to protest
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — a container

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