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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mate — a friend
  5. club — a group
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. march — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. mate — to breed

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