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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: present · pit · toast · pop · march · bound · content · tube

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. content — happy
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pop — to visit
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — bread
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — there
  20. bound — tied together
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — certain

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