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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — boats
  5. march — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — a container
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. can — a tin

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