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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — finally
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tube — a container
  17. last — to go on
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chair — a professorship
  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