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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — the month
  11. key — in music
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — the most important part
  16. degree — an amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — the fish

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