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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — the cause
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rock — music

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