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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rule — a law
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. net — for catching
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rule — government
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — to rule out

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