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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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. cap — of ice
  4. present — there
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a line
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — a gift
  17. bore — to drill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — the time now
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. temple — a place of worship

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