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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. content — the amount
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — a position
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ground — crushed
  24. craft — a skill

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