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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: root · tube · firm · season · pitcher · ball · march · cap

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — decided
  17. march — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — the underground

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