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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. march — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for golf
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — music
  22. club — a group
  23. march — the month
  24. board — a committee

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