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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — a short time
  6. board — to get on
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — the month
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. march — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bore — to drill

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