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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — the month
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. file — a tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. file — a line of people
  22. march — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — to sit on

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