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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. band — a music group
  20. mark — a trace
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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