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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — a break
  13. rule — government
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rule — a law
  17. march — the month
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go 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