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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a song
  9. current — happening now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — the month
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a path
  24. march — music

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