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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: trunk · content · rule · march · craft · bowl · stick · tube

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a skill
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. craft — boats
  19. rule — a law
  20. march — music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — a container
  24. rule — to rule out

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