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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — part of the head
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — to handle
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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