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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tube — a container
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. march — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bound — certain
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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