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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a great time
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. last — finally
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — to put up with

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