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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. craft — boats
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — a container
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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