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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. march — the month
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. suit — clothes
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — to protest
  16. bore — to tire
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bore — to drill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — a group
  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