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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to drill
  5. drill — army training
  6. march — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — in music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

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