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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — in music
  9. last — to go on
  10. net — in sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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