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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — of water
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — there
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — electric

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