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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. march — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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