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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. present — there
  6. tube — the underground
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — low music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. craft — boats
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — the time now
  20. chest — a box
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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