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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 116 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: hand · object · drill · suit · tube · march · season · current

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. march — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — to protest
  8. current — electric
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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