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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: sharp · march · branch · club · squash · bore · present · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — the time now
  21. squash — the sport
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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