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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: deal · pit · march · nail · calf · pop · bore · bay

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — soda
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — to visit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  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