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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — for catching
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — certain
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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