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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — completely
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. march — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — employees
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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