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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — clothes
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — newspapers
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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