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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pop — music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — a division
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — the month

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