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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. field — for sport
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to drill
  15. row — a line
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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