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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. march — the month
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. march — the month
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. last — final
  16. object — an aim
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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