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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — a break
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — the tool

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