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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — in sport
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — in golf
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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