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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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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: bay · clip · stand · march · cap · tube · leaves · toast

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. march — the month
  3. toast — bread
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. cap — a lid
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cap — of ice
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. march — music

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