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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: season · march · bass · tube · date · arm · ruler · bore

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bass — the fish
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to drill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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