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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. tube — the underground
  24. deal — to handle

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