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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. march — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — a law
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tube — a container
  14. face — to confront
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — government
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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