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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — to shout
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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