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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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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — a permit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — boats
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mouse — for a computer

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