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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bore — to tire
  24. march — the month

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