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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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Word bank
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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: dip · march · bore · sharp · calf · band · bowl · foot

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bore — to tire
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. calf — a young animal

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