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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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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: bore · march · straw · leaves · scale · tube · rash · ball

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bore — gave birth

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