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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. march — music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — clothes
  11. present — there
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — the time now
  16. mate — a partner
  17. present — a gift
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. suit — in cards

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