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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. capital — money
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mouse — the 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