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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. last — final
  3. chip — to eat
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — from a university
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. last — finally
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. last — to go on

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