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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: march · wake · foot · can · root · tube · sharp · fine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a word
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. march — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. foot — a measure
  17. root — the cause
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. can — to be able to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  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