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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
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: wound · chair · toast · fine · pitch · craft · tube · march

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. march — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — a container
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitch — completely
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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