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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. suit — clothes
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — to fit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bore — to drill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — soda
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — for catching
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. net — after costs
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — music
  20. pop — music
  21. toast — bread
  22. bore — to tire
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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