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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — boats
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. can — a tin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tube — a container

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