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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 120 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: bulb · last · tear · can · pound · ball · march · bore

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tear — to rip
  5. last — finally
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — the month
  24. last — final

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