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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. toast — bread
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pit — a hole
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. march — the month
  20. game — a match
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — boats
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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