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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — a group
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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