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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.

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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: calf · mug · bank · bound · march · spring · pit · tube

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — a container
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. spring — the season
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spring — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — a young 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