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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bore — to drill

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