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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · toast · march · spring · chair · bore · chest · mark

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bore — to drill
  4. toast — bread
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chest — a box
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. march — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a song
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chest — of your body

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