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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. march — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a tool

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