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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
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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: last · cabinet · firm · calf · track · tube · march · bass

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. bass — low music
  4. last — final
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — a company
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — finally
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — in a tire

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