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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mug — to rob
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. press — newspapers
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — a group
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a cup
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — for golf

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