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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — for money
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — soda
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mate — to breed
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. march — the month
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — of a river

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