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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: fine · bore · tube · lash · court · pit · clip · march

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. court — for sport
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — a container
  21. bore — to tire
  22. clip — a video
  23. march — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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