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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · tube · fan · swing · pound · march · bear · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — in golf
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — to play on
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — steady
  17. bear — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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