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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — the amount
  5. bore — to drill
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — to come from
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — happy
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. temple — side of the head

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