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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
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: tube · bowl · saw · pound · suit · bat · mark · march

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a grade
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. march — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. tube — the underground
  18. march — the month
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. saw — the tool

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