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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pop — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the sport
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. march — music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — gave birth

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