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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.

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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: mouse · can · tube · current · bat · pit · march · shower

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. shower — rain
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — a container
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — the month
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. current — of water
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — the animal

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