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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: jam · tube · march · dip · last · present · rest · scale

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — a break
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. dip — to sink
  10. scale — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. last — final
  15. march — the month
  16. last — to go on
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. present — there
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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