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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — a committee
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — to tire

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