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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.

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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. march — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. march — the month
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. bore — to tire
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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