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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 120 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: leaves · cap · tube · march · saw · bowl · cabinet · can

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — the month
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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