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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — a law
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — there
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to tire

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