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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — music
  24. file — a line of people

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