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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · rule · drill · jam · tear · march · present · pit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rule — a law
  5. drill — army training
  6. tear — to rip
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — government
  12. root — of a word
  13. present — there
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — a gift
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. present — the time now
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. march — music

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