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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bore — to tire
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — a container
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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