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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — in golf
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — a container
  13. kid — child
  14. march — the month
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. march — music
  24. kid — to tease

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