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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. march — the month
  3. can — to be able to
  4. face — to confront
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to point toward
  7. scale — in music
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. scale — size or range

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