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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: can · rush · pitcher · object · board · spring · tube · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — the month
  16. spring — of water
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — to get on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spring — the season
  24. object — a thing

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