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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: foot · tube · march · mate · fan · stick · roll · stand

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — a list
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tube — a container
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a friend

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