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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to tire
  7. march — music
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — to shout
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — bread
  19. ball — a dance
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — of the year

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