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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — clever
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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