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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. drill — the tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. march — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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