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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — for catching
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. net — in sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. firm — steady
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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