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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: club · tube · spell · fan · pitch · straw · march · hide

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. club — for golf
  24. march — music

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