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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — to breed
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mate — a partner
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — of a word
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — in music
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. calf — a young animal

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