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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — for catching
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — after costs
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bore — to tire
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — in sport

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