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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — the month
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rule — government

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