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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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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: calf · stand · march · tube · last · roll · can · bass

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — to go on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. last — final
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the fish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. last — finally
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — the month
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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