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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — the month

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