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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · cap · rule · bay · bat · march · fan · saw

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bay — a horse colour

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