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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. present — a gift
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. court — for sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. march — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — the time now

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